Skip to main content

Slot Terms Glossary

Rachel Elam | January 20, 2020 | Updated on: July 26th, 2024

slots termsKnowing your slot terms can help you better understand the slot machine games. Whether you’re playing at the best sites online or are gambling offline, you’ll come across similar terms. This is one of the most popular games at gambling sites. Therefore, understanding what everything means is an advantage you shouldn’t overlook.

Find a good and detailed slot terms glossary is important. We at Casinosophus.com have created just that for you. Simply use the heading guide below to help you locate exactly which term you are looking to learn more about. So, whether it’s mobile slots, on your computer, or at your favorite land-based casino, knowing the game and what it means is absolutely important.

Best Casino Online Slots Sites

1
 
cafe casino
$5500 Bonus
7.9
Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Unfilled star
$5,500 BONUS
Play Now Cafe Casino
Rating: 4/5
List item
  • 24/7 live chat and telephone customer service
List item
  • Play on any mobile and desktop device
List item
  • Bitcoin supported
2
 
wild casino
$5000 Bonus
9.8
Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star
$5,000 BONUS
Play Now Wild Casino
Rating: 4/5
Our Top Choice
List item
  • 90% Cost coverage, no annual limit
List item
  • Easy, straightforward claims process
List item
  • No annual or lifetime limits
3
 
High Country Casino
$5000 Bonus
8.2
Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Unfilled star
$5,000 BONUS
Play Now High Country
Rating: 5/5
List item
  • Great selection of casino games
List item
  • Wide variety and selection of bonuses
List item
  • All licensed vets are covered
4
 
Vegas Aces
$5000 Bonus
7.6
Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Unfilled star
$5000 BONUS
Play Now Vegas Aces
Rating: 5/5
List item
  • 24/7 customer support available
List item
  • SSL encryption
List item
  • Proven fair by TST
5
 
Lucky hippo casino
$3000 Bonus
9.4
Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Half-filled star
$3,000 BONUS
Play Now Lucky Hippo Casino
Rating: 4/5
List item
  • Up to 90% reimbursement
List item
  • VetConnect™ 24/7 helpline
List item
  • Save 40% for eligible multiple bets
6
 
sun palace casino
$10000 Bonus
7.1
Fully filled star Fully filled star Fully filled star Half-filled star Unfilled star
$10,000 BONUS
Play Now Sun Palace
Rating: 4/5
List item
  • Great range of RTG slot machines.
List item
  • Reliable and experienced gaming operator.
List item
  • Networked RTG progressive jackpots.

What’s on this Slot Terms Guide

  • A – D Slot Terms
  • F – L Slot Terms
  • M – S Slot terms
  • T – Z Slot Terms

Slot Terms Glossary

Read on below for the slots terms.

A – D Slot Terms

  • 243-Ways to Win Slot: A slot that has winning combinations of symbols appearing anywhere on the screen.
  • Action: The total amount wagered by the bettor. This includes bets both won and lost.
  • All Pays Slot: A slot that doesn’t use traditional paylines to control winnings.
  • Basic Slot: A slot machine that has few features, a fixed jackpot, and a single pay line.
  • Bet Max: This is the largest possible wager you can make on a slot game. Use the bet max button, which most games, to quickly place the bet.
  • Betting Unit: The measurement of the size of someone’s bet.
  • Big Hit: Landing a slot’s high-paying combination of symbols.
  • Bonus Feature: Aside from game or added activity that is separate from the main slot game’s regular mode. Usually, it includes things like free spins, scatters symbols, and wild symbols.
  • Buy-a-Pay Slot: This slot game has a feature where each coin bet opens a new level of payouts.
  • Carousel: A group of slot games online that have a common feature, usually the denomination.
  • Classic Slot: This is another word for the three-reel slot. The first slot machine had three barrels.
  • Coin In, Coin Out (CICO): The total number of coins put in and paid out of a slot machine.
  • Coins: Also known as credits. These vary in denomination, from a penny to $5 and more.
  • Coin Size: The amount each coin or credit is worth of a player’s selected denomination.
  • Cold Machine: A slot machine that won’t be paying out anytime soon.
  • Compensated Items (Comps): Free items or points given to players by casino sites rewarding their loyalty. The more you play and deposit, the more points you get.
  • Console Slot: Games with features that make gameplay more comfortable for the player.
  • Credits: Also known as coins. Real money USD is inserted into the game and is converted into credits based on the coin size of the game.
  • Denomination: This is the value of each credit. There is also a fixed credit feature on slot machines that allow players to choose their denomination.
  • Double Symbol: A symbol or set of symbols that multiplies a payout that’s part of a winning combination. Additionally, triple symbols are also common.

F – L Slot Terms

  • Five-Reel Slot: A slot game online that has five-reels. It keeps the traditional feel of the three-reel but it has more paylines, which means a higher chance for wins.
  • Fixed Jackpot: The opposite of a progressive jackpot. It pays out the same fixed amount regardless of how often the jackpot is won or how many people play.
  • Fixed-Value Slot: These are slots whose betting amount or coin size can’t be changed.
  • Free Spins: A bonus feature that gives players a free round of play.
  • Hit: When the spin generates winnings.
  • Hit Frequency: This is a theoretical number that guesses how often a slot will pay out about the total number of games played.
  • High Volatility: A slot that doesn’t payout often. However, they give out higher payouts once they do.
  • Hit and Run: When a player bets on a single payline slot at max credit for a few spins and moves on to another one if there’s no payout.
  • Hold Percentage: A theoretical number that represents how much of your money the game retains.
  • Hot Machine: As opposed to a cold machine. This refers to a game that’s about to payout.
  • Jackpot: The highest-value prize a slot machine pays out.
  • Line Bet: The paylines that are active on a multi-payline slot game.
  • Linked Progressive Slot: An ever-increasing slot jackpot that’s linked to a network with two or more other slots. The more people play the linked games, the larger the jackpot becomes.
  • Loose Slots: Slot games with a higher payout percentage than the average game.
  • Low Volatility: The opposite of high volatility. These slots create more hits but their payout will is lower than a high volatility game.

M – S Slot Terms

  • Max Bet: Similar to the bet max, this refers to the most coins a player can bet on a spin.
  • Multi-Line: Placing bets on more than one payline to increase one’s chances of winning.
  • Multiplier: A specific symbol that increases the payout when landing a winning combination that includes it. They range from a 2x multiplier up to a 50x multiplier or even higher.
  • NearMiss: This is a slang slot term for a combination that’s close to a payout.
  • Nudge Slot: A bonus feature in a slot game that pushes near-miss combinations into winning combos.
  • OneArmed Bandit: Popular slang term for a slot machine.
  • Payback Percentage: This is a theoretical number that refers to the amount of money a slot game gives back or returns to a player. Note that it should only be used as a guide.
  • Payline: The line in a slot game where, if a particular pattern shows up, regulates the amount a player wins. Players activate them by betting on them before they spin.
  • Payout: The amount a slot game pays for a set combination of symbols.
  • Payout Percentage: Like a payback percentage, it’s the amount you’ll get from a slot game.
  • Penny Slot: A slot that accepts pennies as its basic denomination.
  • Progressive Jackpot: An ever-growing prize value available to slot players who are playing on a group of interlinked slot machines.
  • Progressive Slot: A slot that features a growing jackpot that’s built from a portion of all the bets played into it. See Linked Progressive Slot.
  • Random Number Generator (RNG): Software in online slots used by creators of the game that ensures that the generated results are fair.
  • Reels: The area of a slot that has the symbols on it. These are spun to create combinations.
  • Scatter symbol: This symbol generally triggers the bonus feature. It also doesn’t have to appear in any sort of payline, order, or reel to trigger it.
  • Second-Screen Bonus: Referring to a video slot feature that’s on another screen separate from the standard slot game.
  • Short Win: Scoring a jackpot-winning combination but you don’t win it because your credits are low or you made a low denomination bet.
  • Slot Tournament: An event where players compete for prizes at specified slot games online.
  • Slot Type: The type of slot game players bet at.
  • Sound of Rain: Refers to the sound the coins make when there’s a hit.
  • Spin: A round of play on a slot machine.
  • Symbols: Images on the reels that form combinations.

T – Z Slot Terms

  • Take/Pay Cycle: A fallacy based on the belief that slots payout in a specific pattern.
  • ThreeReel Slot: Also known as a classic slot. This is a slot machine with three reels.
  • Tight Slot: As opposed to a loose slot. These are slots that have a lower payout percentage than average games.
  • Total Bet: The chosen denominations multiplied by the total number of credits.
  • Wager Management: A method players use to manage their bankroll or budget for playing slots efficiently.
  • WideArea Progressive: One of the largest progressive payouts, these are slots that have a progressive jackpot. Usually, they operate in a network online or offline.
  • Wild Symbol: This symbol replaces other symbols and creates a winning combination.
  • Winning Combination: A collection of symbols on a payline that gives a hit.

More Slots Guides